Conventional wisdom says that spring is the best time to put a house on the market. So here we are in January, just 10 weeks or so until the official start of spring. What are your plans? If you are thinking about listing in March or April, there will be some preparations involved in the weeks leading up to listing. We want to help you get a head start now. We want to help you prepare to prepare your house for sale.
Some of the most common tips for preparing a house for sale include things like cleaning, redecorating, and removing the clutter. Again, these are all things that can be done just a couple of weeks before. But there are other things you can do months in advance. There are things you can do now to make the spring preparations easier.
Throw on a Coat of Paint
A fresh coat of paint in rooms that look old and dreary is one of the simplest and least expensive things you can do. We suggest that it’s better to paint now rather than waiting until spring. First of all, you probably have a lot more time on your hands now you’re stuck inside for the winter. More importantly though, painting now allows you to take your time to do it right. If you wait until two weeks before listing, you are going to rush through it.
Remember that neutral colors are best when repainting with a sale in mind. Think of whites, off-whites, tans, and grays. Stay away from anything bright and bold. If the new homeowner wants to spice things up later on, so be it.
Take Care of the Little Fixes
Just about every home has a list of little things that need to be fixed. There’s the sliding glass door that needs a good track clean and oiling; there’s the dripping faucet in the master bath; that kitchen cupboard door junior cracked with his bicycle needs to be replaced.
You’re eventually going to address all those little things anyway, so why wait until March when the pressure is on to get things done? Take a Saturday or two in February to tackle your to-do list. Just fixing all those little things will make an enormous difference when it’s time to list.
Take an Inventory of Your Possessions
When your real estate agent drops by with a staging professional in March, the push will be on to rid your home of clutter. You will have one weekend to decide what’s staying and what’s going. Unfortunately, this part of the staging process is more stressful than it needs to be for a lot of people. Avoid the stress by taking the time now to inventory your possessions.
Knowing what you own well in advance of staging will make it a lot easier to work through decisions when it’s time to actually clear out. With a complete inventory, you can begin formulating a strategy in your mind for when the day arrives.
Come up with an Exterior Plan
Depending on the weather and where you live, you may not be able to do anything on the exterior of your home until spring arrives. But you don’t have to wait until March to come up with a plan. Spend a few minutes outside to figure out what needs to be done. Then sit down and create a plan, complete with a budget. When spring arrives, you’ll be ready to get to work.
Preparing a house for sale can either be a long- or short-term proposition. If you elect to take more time to prepare, you have the advantage of being able to stretch the work and anxiety over a longer period. From our point of view, that is a better strategy than trying to cram all your preparation efforts into a short, two-week period.
In closing, don’t hesitate to contact My Divine Concierge if you need help preparing your home for sale. We are experts in cleaning, removing clutter, and home staging.